WD My Passport (2019, 5TB)
Editor Rating: Excellent (4.0)
Aug 16, 2019 My WD My Passport Ultra 2TB is less than 6 months old and, until today, was working perfectly. Suddenly, I’m transferring 5GBs of video into it (something I do at least 4 times a week) and it tells me it’ll take around 17-20 mins, which I find VERY odd, as it normally takes 2, 3 mins., max! So I download the Blackmagicdesign Speed Test for the first time and run the drive through the test. Step 3: Go to Sidebar tab, tick 'External disks' under 'Devices' to show your WD My Passport for Mac in Finder. Solution 2: Check My Passport for Mac in Disk Utility. If the WD My Passport for Mac drive is still not showing up in Finder or on the desktop, you can see whether it is showing up in Disk Utility or not.
Pros
- 5TB is peak portable single-drive capacity.
- Small and light.
- AES-256 hardware encryption with password.
- Ships with apps for backup/restore, reformatting and checking drive health, and more.
Cons
- At list price, the 5TB version has a higher cost per gigabyte than the 4TB version.
Bottom Line
Its combination of solid performance, hardware encryption, and useful utilities makes the 5TB WD My Passport a strong contender for everyday backup of sensitive data or storing a massive collection of videos, photos, and documents.
One of the differences between a generic external hard drive and a top contender like the WD My Passport ($149.99 for the 5TB model tested here) is the manufacturer's added effort to make a simple plastic box look attractive. Slightly rounded edges and ripples over part of the surface give the My Passport drive the look and tactile-friendly feel of a consumer gadget. The ripples also help keep the drive from slipping out of your hand easily. Add a choice of colors, a size that can fit in a shirt pocket, a range of capacities from 1TB to 5TB (5TB is the top capacity you can get at the moment for a single-drive portable hard drive), and easy-to-find discounts from list price, and the WD My Passport is a clear standout and our new Editors' Choice among high-capacity portable hard drives.
Variations on a Theme
The My Passport at least arguably earns WD's description of it as 'stylish.' The drive I have for testing, pictured here, is black, but you can also get versions formatted for Windows in a red or blue case, or one formatted for the Mac in a darker blue case only. Fit and finish are excellent, with no screws needed to hold the case together and no sharp edges to catch on clothing or a bag. The partially rippled surface covers half of both the top and bottom, running from one corner to the diagonal center line on both, while an understated WD logo occupies the upper right corner of the top. Pick up the drive, and it feels like a solid, well-built product.
Wd My Passport For Mac On Pc
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Aside from the seam that joins the top and bottom sections of the case together, the only obvious detail on the smooth sides of the case is a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port on the short side (top edge) near the logo. The port uses a Micro-USB Type-B connector to match the included cable (or cables, if you get the Mac version; more on that in a minute). When the drive is connected and working, you can see a status light near the port. Keep in mind that while you can connect the drive to a USB 2.0 port, that will slow data transfer to USB 2.0 speeds.
My Passport drives for Windows come formatted in the NTFS file system; the Mac versions come with HFS+. You can, of course, reformat either version with the other file system to use the drive with the other OS, or reformat with exFAT if you want to move the drive freely between Windows systems and Macs. Just be sure to back up any files on the drive first, so you can copy them back when you're done.
Capacities, Costs, and Complications
In addition to the 5TB version I tested, WD offers three other capacities for the Windows version of the drive, with list prices of $59.99 for 1TB, $79.99 for 2TB, and $119.99 for 4TB. That equals a cost per gigabyte of 6 cents for the 1TB drive, 4 cents for the 2TB model, 2.8 cents for the 4TB unit, and 3 cents for 5TB. All four models are readily available for less at this writing, which gives them lower costs per gigabyte in the real world. Even so, the difference in price is so small that it's hard to justify choosing the 1TB version if there's any possibility you might someday need 2TB.
The choice between the 4TB and 5TB drives is a little more complicated. Based on list prices, the slightly higher cost per gigabyte for the larger drive argues against choosing it, but current street prices make the 5TB model an equal or even better deal. Be sure to check prices for both when you buy to see which one is the smarter choice on that particular day. All that said, the 5TB is special in that 5TB is the single highest-capacity portable drive you can get at the moment. WD isn't the only maker offering a 5TB portable (Seagate, LaCie, and ADATA also have 5TB portable offerings), but this is the capacity you want if what you need is the roomiest possible pocketable USB storage.
Note, too, that the My Passport's size and weight varies with its capacity. All four versions have the same 4.2 by 3-inch footprint, but where the 4TB and 5TB drives are 0.75 inch thick, the 1TB and 2TB devices are a much slimmer 0.44 inch thick, as well as a good deal lighter (4.3 ounces versus 7.4 ounces). That said, even the 5TB drive I had for testing fits comfortably in a shirt pocket. WD touts it as the slimmest 5TB drive in the company's portfolio.
Wd My Passport For Mac Slow Drive
The Mac versions of My Passport cost a little more than their Windows equivalents. More precisely, the list price is $10 more for the 2TB, 4TB, and 5TB capacities, with the higher price justified by a second cable. Both Mac and Windows versions come with a USB-A-to-Micro-B cable; the Mac drives add a USB-C-to-Micro-B cable, as well. If you already have a spare cable, you can buy the Windows version, reformat it for HFS+, and save a few dollars. There is no 1TB Mac version, but if you really want a 1TB Mac drive, you can buy the Windows version, find the appropriate cable somewhere, and reformat the drive.
Security and Software
Platter drive technology is mature enough that there is little difference in performance, reliability, or even price from one vendor to the next for 2.5-inch, 5,400rpm hard drives like the one inside the My Passport case. That often leaves features like built-in data encryption (or the lack of it) and bundled software as the best reasons to pick one brand over another. The My Passport offers a strong argument on both scores. Superbirdbrowser.
A serious issue for small, portable drives is that they're easy to lose and there's always a possibility of their being stolen. If you've backed up sensitive information—say, all your financial data plus documents with your social security number and birthday—that's a nightmare in waiting. The My Passport addresses that potential problem the same way as the Editors' Choice Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Touch does, with AES-256 hardware encryption and password protection. Assuming it's implemented properly, AES-256 is currently considered essentially unbreakable.
To take advantage of the encryption, you simply install and launch the WD Security app that comes on the drive, enter a password, and optionally add a password hint. By default, whenever you connect the drive to a computer or reboot, you'll be prompted for the password before you can access your data.
You can optionally set the program to automatically unlock the drive for computers you use regularly. However, you might want to skip that convenience. If you forget the password, there's no way to recover it, and you can't change it without knowing the current password. Reformatting the drive will remove the password and let you use the drive again, but doing that will also erase all your data. The default setting will help you remember the password by forcing you to enter it on a regular basis.
Imyfone dback for mac. Both the Windows and Mac versions of the drive come with assorted utilities for their respective operating systems, but if you reformat your drive, you can download the utilities for the right OS from the WD website. Both versions offer most of the same features. The WD Drive Utility lets you reformat, diagnose the drive condition, and manage the drive's power use. WD Discovery can download data from cloud storage and social media accounts. WD Backup, for Windows only, can back up to Dropbox as well as the My Passport drive. For the Mac, WD relies on Apple Time Machine for backup.
One notable plus is that WD Discovery lets you download Paragon drivers at no charge, which will let you use an NTFS-formatted drive with a Mac or one formatted with HFS+ in Windows. If you connect a drive with a mismatched format to your computer with WD Discovery running, you'll see an option to download the appropriate Paragon driver.
Performance: On Par for Platters
The 5TB My Passport turned in the performance you'd expect from a 5,400rpm drive from a reputable manufacturer, coming in tied for first or a close second in several of the PC Labs benchmarks below. (Frankly, with little significant difference between first and last place in many of the tests, a win doesn't mean much.)
PCMark 7 Secondary Storage Test
The PCMark 7 Secondary Storage test generates a proprietary score based on a mix of simulated workloads, including a Windows Defender scan, video editing tasks, and application launches.
The My Passport finished a close second to the ADATA HD710M Pro, with a score of 1,783 versus 1,822. However, even the slowest drive in the group managed to score 1,148, which makes the difference from top to bottom too small to matter in most real-world applications.
Crystal DiskMark
![Wd My Passport For Mac Slow Wd My Passport For Mac Slow](https://eteknix-eteknixltd.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/WD-My-Passport-Ultra-1.jpg)
Crystal DiskMark, a test of sequential read and write speeds for straight-line transfers of contiguous data, represents a best-case scenario for platter drives. Results are in megabytes per second (MBps).
The 5TB My Passport is a close second here for sequential reads and tied for a close third for sequential writes. But in both tests, four of the five drives are all but even for practical purposes.
PCMag Folder Transfer Test
For our own folder transfer test, we use a MacBook Pro laptop. This drag-and-drop test consists of copying a standard 1.2GB folder from the Mac to the test drive, with the results shown in how many seconds it took to finish the job.
The LaCie Mobile Drive and Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Touch posted a photo finish in 11 seconds, with the other three drives, including the WD My Passport, taking 12 seconds. Play battle chess free. Again, the difference is more or less too small to notice.
BlackMagic 3.1 Disk Speed Test
The BlackMagic utility measures a drive's throughput in MBps for reading and writing various video formats. You won't be surprised to see the results were once again extremely close.
The Seagate earned bragging rights for the fastest transfer rate for disk writes and tied for first place for disk reads. However, the LaCie drive was a close second overall, with the ADATA HD710M Pro a close third. The 5TB My Passport was a tad faster than the ADATA for writes and little more than a tad slower for reads.
Hits the Spot for Max Capacity
Unless you need a ruggedized drive to stand up to rough treatment, the WD My Passport checks off all the right boxes for an external portable hard drive. Its performance is on par with the competition; the built-in hardware encryption and bundled utilities enhance its usability; and it doesn't hurt that it looks good, too. If all you need is 1TB or 2TB of storage, it can go toe to toe with the Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Touch, the winner being the one that's selling for less on any given day. And if you need more capacity, the My Passport can get you as many terabytes as today's tech allows in a portable, making it an Editors' Choice for high-capacity portable hard drives.
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Further Reading
Summary
Are you facing a hopeless situation that your WD external hard drive becomes very slow to open files or boot the operating system? Find solutions to fix the slow WD external hard drive in this post, and let EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard help with file recovery if the slow drive threatens your important data.
Problem: WD external hard drive slow transfer rate
'I have a three years old WD My Passport 1TB external hard drive which has been used as a backup drive. About a week ago, something unusual happened. The drive became extremely slow, especially when I was trying to transfer data from my computer or open files on the drive. Is this problem serious? Perhaps is there any way to fix the slow WD external hard drive transfer rate? Please help me.'
If you are one of the WD Elements and WD My Passport (Ultra) external hard drive consumers who are currently experiencing a slow transfer speed, slow response, or slow boot problem, please read this post carefully. It offers information on how to fix a slow WD external hard drive, additionally introduces the EaseUS data recovery solution to protect important data from corrupted or inaccessible slow WD external drive.
What's the risk of having a slow external hard drive?
Once your hard drive is very slow suddenly without warning or reporting errors, be alert! There are some potential risks that might cause even severe damage to your hard drive and the data as well.
A list of risks that might be developed from a slow WD external hard drive:
1. Hard drive starts making clicking sound or noise.
2. Files cannot open anymore, being corrupted.
3. Windows can no longer detect the hard drive or display the data.
4. Hard drive keeps crashing, hanging or freezing when double-clicking on it or trying to open files.
2. Files cannot open anymore, being corrupted.
3. Windows can no longer detect the hard drive or display the data.
4. Hard drive keeps crashing, hanging or freezing when double-clicking on it or trying to open files.
8 Solutions to WD external hard drive slow and unresponsive
With data fully protected, now you can start to apply every possible workaround to resolve the slow issue on a WD external drive. Altogether, we've picked up five viable solutions for you.
1. Change the SATA data cable.
2. Change the USB 2.0 port to USB 3.0 port.
3. Perform disk fragmentation to optimize the disk.
4. Check and repair hard drive logic errors and bad sectors.
5. Send the drive to a hard drive repair center or simply replace the slow hard drive with a new one.
6. Replace the slow hard drive with a new one
2. Change the USB 2.0 port to USB 3.0 port.
3. Perform disk fragmentation to optimize the disk.
4. Check and repair hard drive logic errors and bad sectors.
5. Send the drive to a hard drive repair center or simply replace the slow hard drive with a new one.
6. Replace the slow hard drive with a new one
Next, we're going to give a detailed instruction of the sixth and seventh solutions, which people can easily test all by themselves on their PCs.
7. To optimize a slow WD external hard drive
Step 1. Go to Computer (Windows 7) or This PC (Windows 10).
Step 2. Right-click on the slow WD external hard drive and choose Properties.
Step 3. In the tab, click Tools, under the Tools click Optimize.
Step 4. Follow the onscreen wizard to complete the process.
Step 2. Right-click on the slow WD external hard drive and choose Properties.
Step 3. In the tab, click Tools, under the Tools click Optimize.
Step 4. Follow the onscreen wizard to complete the process.
By doing like we taught, you can optimize your drives to help it run more efficiently. It's one of the most applied ways to speed up a hard drive that is suddenly slow, overloaded or sluggish.
8. To check and repair hard disk bad sectors
Step 1. Open the WD external hard drive Properties window likewise.
Step 2. In the tab, click Tools, click Check this time. (This option will check the drive for file system errors that may slow down a hard drive's performance )
Step 3. Follow the onscreen wizard to complete the process or file system checking and repairing.
Step 2. In the tab, click Tools, click Check this time. (This option will check the drive for file system errors that may slow down a hard drive's performance )
Step 3. Follow the onscreen wizard to complete the process or file system checking and repairing.
- Tip
- If the hard drive crashes while you trying to open it by right-clicking, go to check hard drive partition errors and remove bad sectors in the other way.
- Download EaseUS free partition manager software to check and repair bad sectors on the WD external hard drive.
If the slow drive disables you from doing both of the troubleshooting steps, please do a further examination: is its LED light flashing appropriately, or does Windows recognize the disk? If not, it's time to send the drive to a professional repair center or contact the WD support to seek help. Your drive seems to be damaged heavily and it's losing its capability.
How to prevent data from corrupting or becoming inaccessible on a slow hard drive?
When you're faced with a slow hard drive, such as a hard drive of Western Digital or other brands like SanDisk, Toshiba, Kingston or Samsung, try to protect your data from being damaged as soon as possible.
And the best way to access data in a WD external hard drive which can hardly open is to let EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard help. It's the most proficient hard drive recovery software that takes three steps to help WD users find all data they want.
Step 1. Choose the external hard drive
Since you're going to recover data from the external hard drive, run EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard and under the External Devices tab, choose the exact drive where you lost data. Click Scan.
Step 2. Scan for lost data
The software will start immediately to scan all over the selected drive for all lost data. During the scan, you could see more and more data showing up in the results.
Step 3. Preview and recover data
After the scan is over, check the scan results for the desired data. You can preview the file by double-clicking on it. Click Recover and choose another location to save the recovered data.
People Also Ask
1. How do I fix a slow external hard drive?
As illustrated in the troubleshooting guide, there are 5 ways to fix a slow external hard drive by yourself:
1. Change the SATA data cable.
2. Change the USB 2.0 port to USB 3.0 port.
3. Perform disk fragmentation to optimize the disk.
4. Check and repair hard drive logic errors and bad sectors.
5. Send the drive to a hard drive repair center or simply replace the slow hard drive with a new one.
2. Change the USB 2.0 port to USB 3.0 port.
3. Perform disk fragmentation to optimize the disk.
4. Check and repair hard drive logic errors and bad sectors.
5. Send the drive to a hard drive repair center or simply replace the slow hard drive with a new one.
2. Why is hard drive suddenly slow?
There are basically two culprits: software and hard drive corruption. Once hard drive and software lack in good health, it begins to develop bad sectors, viruses, fragmentation, and many serious issues and finally leads to a very slow speed that affects your life and work. Learn how to solve the problem of hard drive very slow suddenly.
3. How can I speed up my external hard drive transfer speed?
![Wd My Passport For Mac Slow Wd My Passport For Mac Slow](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hPAl2hTCjts/V-a5LbWSLTI/AAAAAAAAAZk/RBrYTCN426Y95bJ0attKsFhySbyQ591mACLcB/s320/Best%2BPrice%2B2016%2BBest%2BExternal%2BHard%2BDrive%2Bfor%2BMac%2B2016.png)
Sometimes, it might help increase the transfer speed by converting FAT32 to NTFS. In addition, change the default hardware settings for better performance. Learn how to increase the transfer speed of an external hard drive.
4. Can external hard drive speed up my computer?
The external hard drive is meant to give your computer more room for storing and running files, especially for large size of videos, photos, Photoshop, etc. So, in certain circumstances, an external hard drive can speed up your computer, but not sure about speeding up your system.